My family loves being tourists in our own city. We try to find experiences that are unique to where we live. Since moving to Florida, we have enthusiastically explored beaches, parks, zoos, turtle rehabilitation centers, and more. While I’m almost always up for an adventure and planning outings for my children, I was a little less than thrilled when they asked to go fishing in the ocean.
Three of my children have taken up fishing in the small pond behind our house since we moved to Wellington, but fishing is simply not my cup of tea. I don’t bait hooks, nor do I touch live fish. When the children need new bait or tackle, I have no idea what to buy for them. I was completely at a loss when those same three begged to go fishing in the ocean.
Fortunately for this mom, Google turned up Living on Island Time, a drift boat fishing company based in Hypoluxo. Taking my family fishing with Living on Island Time was a fraction of the cost of chartering a boat, which was the first plus in my book. With five children, I try to be as frugal as possible. Outside of trying not to spend a fortune on a day trip for my kids, I really didn’t have high expectations for the outing. Fishing wasn’t for me, or so I thought, and I didn’t even plan to throw a line in the water.
My husband, I assumed, would have his hands full trying to help all the children bait their hooks and reel in their fish. I was adamant from the beginning that I would go along on this adventure but that I would not be helping with any of the icky tasks. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience.
Living on Island Time provides rods, reels, and bait, but most importantly they provide help. I’m useless in that department, and there are simply too many kids for my husband to help everyone and get to fish himself. Captain Dale and the crew of Living on Island Time does everything from teaching how to use the rods and reels, to baiting hooks, to untangling line, to helping reel in the more tenacious fish. All of this help for the children meant that my husband and I both got to fish (yes, even I joined in). Rather than having an exhausting day, my husband and I got to relax and enjoy the experience with the children. We sipped coffee as the sun rose over the intercoastal waterway, and we went home with fresh catch for dinner. After our adventure came to an end, the crew even filleted our fish for us (yet another task that I refuse to perform). Even my oldest daughter, who was initially reluctant, was won over when she won the award for the biggest fish caught that day.
If you’re like me and a bit squeamish in the fishing department but have avid fisherkids, do yourself a favor and contact Living on Island Time. They’ll take the work out of fishing and give your family a day that you won’t soon forget.
